


'Twas The Night...

by emiliaf25 (emiliaf24)



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Cinnamon Roll Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Connor Needs A Hug, Connor's good-natured shenanigans, Connor's self destructive tendencies, Fluff and Angst, From: chiliad-lucerna, Hurt/Comfort, Markus is very tired, Prompt: It's So Cold, Protective Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Santa Clause call out post, Somebody tie this boy up in bubble wrap, The angst is barely there, Tumblr Prompt, Why does Connor always have to act up around Christmas time, christmas 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:15:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22568449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emiliaf24/pseuds/emiliaf25
Summary: 'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through New Jericho, not an android was stirring...Connor what the fuck are you doing!!?
Comments: 19
Kudos: 198





	'Twas The Night...

It was three AM on Christmas Eve (Christmas morning if you wanted to get technical) and Markus was feeling the strain of the late hour. He had been doing paperwork nonstop all day, despite North and Josh’s attempts to convince (Josh) and trick (North) into taking a break, or at least leaving it for another day. Markus did not tell them that the point of doing all this work at, what appeared to them, such a frantic rate was so he would have more free time for the holiday.

Perhaps he should have clarified his intentions, though. Maybe then he wouldn’t have wasted several hours trying to get Rick Astley’s _Never Gonna Give You Up_ video to stop playing every time he opened his files. _Well played North_ , he thought, knowing the vision of this human’s hypnotically swaying hips would haunt him for months to come. This was definitely a lesson well learned in communication.

Markus pushed his chair away from his desk and leaned back, closing his eyes. He inhaled deeply, counted to ten, and then exhaled slowly. When Carl had suggested some alternative destressor exercises, light meditation had appeared the least likely to work for him. Breathing for androids served a different purpose than it did for humans. It would not provide the same biological effects.

“ _It doesn’t_ ** _just_** _help humans stay alive, Markus_ ,” Carl had said, when Markus countered that painting helped relax him very well and accomplished something less pointless. “ _It’s…alright, I’ll put it this way. Focusing on one, simple task can help calm you down when you have a thousand other important things running through your mind. And yes before you say anything I got that from a Better Living health blog don’t at me Markus._ ”

In and out …in and out. Markus had not quite reached his goal of completion today, but he was 58% less backlogged than when he started, and he thought that warranted him some free time with his loved ones when Christmas day started in full.

He stood from his chair and turned to look out the floor to ceiling bay windows. Despite many, _many_ protests against it, his home in New Jericho had once been the Presidential Suite when the building was a hotel. Once he ~~resigned himself~~ settled into the fact that he wasn’t getting a regular one bedroom, he could admit that he did like the view.

On a calm and peaceful night like this; when Markus initiated the auto command that swept back the grand curtains like a dramatic reveal at an opera house, he would be greeted with the gorgeous sight of millions of lights twinkling and reflecting off of the gently falling snow - the bustling city of Detroit, awake, like he, even at this hour.

Tonight, however, all Markus could see was Connor.

**[WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK?!!]**

The notification blared in Markus’ HUD until it was a wall of text, the words repeating over and over, blocking all sight. _Ah goddamnit all_ , Markus thought as he forced a soft reboot before all of his functionality froze and his systems did it for him. There was nothing quite as embarrassing as being stuck in your default pose for three some odd minutes. 

T-posing during a meeting with several other android leaders outside the city aside (thanks as always Kamski for _that_ particular feature), it appeared that his optics had not randomly glitched out. When he came back online, Connor was indeed still outside his window - one hand and both feet attached to the glass via suction cups, while the other clutched a giant red gift sack hanging over his shoulder.

The RK800 had a sheepish little smile on his face, which on a normal day was admittedly quite endearing. But on a normal day he was not hanging out of Markus’ 46th floor window during a snow storm at three in the fucking morning.

 _Connor_ ** _DO NOT_** _move. I’m going to let you in_. Markus telecommunicated to him, trying to keep his feeling of pure panic out of the link so as not to startle the other android.

Which was apparently a needless attempt, as Connor’s response in kind was as calm as a casual stroll through a park. _I really appreciate that Markus, thank you_.

With a few tweaks to the controls, Markus slowly commanded the window to open inward. Once he was fully inside, Connor dropped his bag and proceeded to detach his limbs from the glass, each suction cup making a resounding _POP_ as he did so.

The window closed, Markus could only watch in silence as his friend brushed snowflakes and slushy ice off of his suit jacket clad shoulders and slacks. He had _so_ many questions, each one clambering for attention, that for several moments he was at a complete loss for words.

“Connor, what the _hell_ were you doing out there!?” Markus finally managed to get out in a shrieking whisper.

“Oh! Of course. Apologies for the delay,” Connor replied, then promptly dug into his bag. He pulled out a medium sized box, neatly wrapped in gold paper. The package rattled violently in Connor’s shaking grasp, and when Markus took the proffered gift the RK800 immediately tucked his hands under his arms. “Merry Christmas, Markus.”

Markus looked over the gift. It was a thoughtful gesture, down to the cheerful green bow and paintbrush print pattern. He looked back up, and met the other’s expectant wide eyed gaze. “Thank you, Connor,” he said with a sincere nod of his head. “I remain confounded.”

“Well, my original plan was to leave a gift outside your door as I did for everyone else in the building, but there were several people congregating near the hallway that lead to your room and I…thought it prudent not to be seen by them because…ah….you know,” he gestured at himself with a helpless wave. “So I decided to climb through the ventilation shaft to go around them, but as it turns out the architectural schematic I have downloaded did not reflect the current renovations, so I accidentally ended up on the roof. Thankfully the suction cups I had been using for other Detroit establishments were still functional, and thus enabled me to deliver your gift without being bothersome to the other New Jericho residents.”

“D-deliver - ? What were you going to do if I hadn’t been awake? Break the window?”

“Of course not!” Connor scoffed, daring to look aghast after all of that insanity he had just spewed. Markus felt his stress levels skyrocket at the sudden horrifying thought that Connor was planning to just… _hang out there until morning_. It was so cold outside, and the weather forecast reported that it would reach record lows around five. Dear God, there was no way he would have survived the night…. “I was going to attach it securely to the window, and then call you to insure you had received it. Admittedly this turn of events was better for your gift’s structural integrity, but I believe it may have also devalued the surprise.”

Ah. Alright. That was much less terrifying, though Markus could die a happy android if Connor never did such a thing again.

“I assure you I am sufficiently surprised,” Markus deadpanned.

Connor beamed. “Truly?”

Well, if Markus was at all annoyed before, then the feeling had completely evaporated now. There was just no staying mad in the face of such sincerity. “Truly. Listen, why don’t we continue this conversation in the living room? My scans are showing that your homeostatic bicomponent hasn’t regulated your internal temperature yet, you must have been out there for awhile.”

Connor shuffled after Markus, arms crossed tighter against his torso and hunched over, and sat down on the large plush couch, practically sinking into its folds. At least his suit didn’t appear wet - Markus detected traces of a water proof spray all over his clothing. Which, with that depth of thought put into his escapades, begged the question of why Connor hadn’t thought to wear suitable winter clothing in the first place. “I have been outside a majority of the evening, period. I miscalculated the vast amount of variables that would hinder my ability to deliver presents city wide in a single night…severely.”

It said something about Connor’s state when he did not protest Markus wrapping a blanket he kept on the back of the couch around him, until only his eyes and nose were visible. “You tried to deliver presents to everyone in the city? _In one night_?” Markus asked, dumbfounded at the magnitude of such an idea.

“I did not _try_. I succeeded,” Connor said, frowning slightly at the implication that he did not. Oh right, _obviously_. That was something anyone could do at anytime why would Markus _ever_ question Connor pulling that off? “I did not foresee it taking this long, however. I will be logging all mistakes made for future reference in case I decide to do this next year.”

Markus gaped at him. “That’s…” insane. Impossible. There was no conceivable way a single android, most advanced prototype or no, could execute this task alone. The cold must be affecting Connor’s processors. “Very kind of you. What made you try - uh. Want to do this?”

As there was no conceivable way to deliver presents to several million people in one night by yourself, there was also no way to look remotely intimidating when you were wrapped up like a burrito in comfy blankies. Regardless, Connor narrowed his eyes and scowled from beneath his cozy fortress. “Because clearly Santa Claus is too much of a coward to do it himself. I have existed for three years and not _once_ have I seen this supposed quote unquote _Jolly Old Elf_ make due on his promise to spread cheer to pre adolescent children, who I have deduced have been _decidedly_ very good in the conventional sense, or have made strides to improve past misbehavior. Furthermore, his strict moral boundaries of what constitutes _naughty_ and _nice_ leave no room for growth or chances of redemption. Detroit deserves better than to fall for the honey sweet lies from a false god.”

Expectations were considerably low as far as getting an explanation he could easily wrap his head around, but a passionate speech about the failings of Santa was certainly not on Markus’ list of what he thought Connor would say. “It sounds like you put a lot of thought into this,” Markus said diplomatically.

“I have. About 10 days worth.”

Markus’ eyebrows shot up. He did another, more thorough, scan on Connor, requesting a diagnostic report this time. Thirium levels: _sub optimal_. Battery Power: _low_. Hum….That could be the result of gallivanting who knows where in Detroit with rA9 only knows how many presents strapped to his back. Or…

“Say Connor,” he started carefully. “When was the last time you went into stasis?”

“16 days, 3 hours and 46 minutes ago. Why?”

Internally, Markus balked, his Care-Taker protocols rearing up like they had a mind of their own. That was… _not_ a healthy amount of rest, to put it lightly, even for an android. Outwardly, he kept calm. He had known Connor for a long time now, and direct overtures regarding his well being still made the younger android severely uncomfortable. They would need to confront him about these issues one of these days. At the moment though, confrontation could result in anything from pretending nothing was wrong and shutting down all conversation regarding the matter or diving out the window.

“Oh, just wondering….” Markus pulled the tray of crystal tumblers and bottle of thirium that he kept on the glass coffee table for guests, closer to them. He poured them both a glass, and when he spoke next, it was with affected casualness. “I have to say, that is an unusual amount of time to stay awake. Any particular reason?”

Narrowing his eyes in thought, Connor took the proffered drink, rising from his cocoon just enough to take a sip. “I…don’t…know. My normal daily routine hasn’t changed too drastically. I did switch Sumo’s shampoo to a more organic brand, and I was tortured three weeks ago by an anti-android domestic terrorist group for 48 hours. But other than that nothing unusua - Markus your - ! Are you alright?!”

His glass slipped through his suddenly non functioning fingers. The carpet managed to save it from breaking, but thirium spilled all over the place. Not that the mess was even close to what was on his mind. “Tortured!?!? When - why didn’t you tell me!?”

Connor blinked languidly back at him. “I did. It was in the report I sent you, seeing as how their goal was to extract New Jericho’s security information out of me.”

Markus knew the exact report he was referring to. The information Connor provided had been pivotal in identifying several violent anti-android groups that had previously been safeguarded through anonymity. It was the reason they had done a complete overhaul of their security system, and had likely saved countless lives. And not once - _Not_. _Once_ \- was… _torture_ mentioned at any point in the report. Except maybe… “It said you were forcefully interrogated.”

Connor blinked at him again.

“NO! _That is not the same thing_!”

“I see.” There was a skepticism in his eyes that made Markus want to bang his head on the table. And maybe bang Connor’s thick, self sacrificing skull as well. “Apologies. I understand the dangers that unchecked misinformation can cause. I will be sure to be more thorough in my descriptions in future reports.”

“ _Connor…_ ” Markus sighed deeply, rubbing a hand over his head. Tonight had been a fucking emotional roller coaster and none of the breaks were working. “That’s not the point. Just…please let me know if you are hurt, especially to that extent. Not only for the sake of accuracy, but because you are my friend and I care about you. And no,” Markus said as Connor started to open his mouth, “I do not believe it is superfluous information. In fact, I give blanket permission to assume that anything you feel is superfluous is the opposite from my point of view.”

Connor closed his mouth and started to sip his drink with, if Markus did not know any better, at least 2% more attitude. “You sound like Hank.”

“Hank is a wise human.”

“You would not say that if you knew how many times he had mistaken dirty dish water for coffee. The answer is six times too many.”

Markus chuckled, and soon the two descended into a companionable silence, the rushing wind rattling against the window; a soothing white noise in the background.

“You’re welcome to stay the night, if you want…” Markus finally said.

An offer to an audience of no one, apparently. Connor had drifted off, LED blinking a gentle blue, his empty cup precariously balanced on the mound of blanket near his chin. The leader of Jericho shook his head, utterly bemused at the turn his night took. But, there was no such thing as a dull moment in a friendship with Connor. Which was perfectly fine by him, welcomed even. If he hadn’t, then he would have heeded everyone else’s advice and would have long since kept his distance from the former Deviant Hunter.

Psh. _Then_ where would he be? Eating bland thirium cornflakes while he played backgammon by himself? Maybe spending the last hours of Christmas Eve _without_ a guy randomly suctioned cupped to his window? Like a boring tool. Yeah. No thank you.

He put the cups and empty thirium bottle back on the tray, and made the executive decision to take care of the little mess during daylight hours. As Markus adjusted the blanket around Connor so that it was secure and wouldn’t fall off in the night, he couldn’t help the sense of wonder that overcame him. A gift for each android in Jericho. Even though Connor hadn’t managed to give presents to everyone in Detroit, as his sleep deprived circuits seemed to believe, what he had accomplished for their community was no simple feat.

Connor had guaranteed the happiness of many, many androids this holiday. Markus only hoped their people appreciated it.

Later that morning, Markus came back online to a folded blanket and an absent Connor. He’d left a note expressing more apologies for disturbing Markus’s evening with his window stunt, and his intention to make a brief visit for the Jericho festivities in the evening. Perhaps this year Markus could convince him to stay longer than an hour, particularly in light of his late night kindly deeds.

As an android, Markus did not eat breakfast, but he found himself eating his words when he turned on the news and reports of people - from hospitals to charities to neighborhoods all around the city - calling in about mysterious presents on doorsteps or outside the front of buildings that were not there the night before.

“ _….police are saying that so far, of the six hundred presents they have investigated, none of them have shown any sign of tampering or foul play,_ ” the anchorwoman rattled off, clips of confused humans, and even a few androids, describing the unexpected packages when they opened their doors flashing across the screen. “ _And more reports are coming in by the minute of packages being found. As of yet, the DPD has not identified who the culprit or culprits could be, although many citizens are speculating that the Santa suspect may be an android, as the handwriting on every label had a striking resemblance to the CyberLife sans font type, the standard writing style of most non customized androids. The choice of alias the perpetrator used continues to baffle both community members and investigators, but so far do not appear to provide any clues as to who our modern Santa Claus is…_ ”

And sure enough, the label on Markus’ gift was an exact match to the ones that were being showcased on the T.V.

He chuckled wryly to himself. Even if Markus had woken up that morning in the same fashion as everyone else in Detroit, he would have been able to recognize the gift giver. He sincerely hoped that Connor didn’t get in trouble for all the well intentioned mayhem he had caused. Markus had faith that he would be alright though, and if not, well…

He would absolutely pose as an alibi. What were best friends for, after all, if not to cover each other when one of them did something crazy? Even pinnacles of android leadership and police detectives ascribed to that ancient adage.

**Author's Note:**

> For more updates, fic shorts, headcanons, asks, and other nonsense check out my tumblr at: https://emiliaf25.tumblr.com/


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